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To: bvw
Well done!!
I love your description of Feldman's feigned incompetence. It reminded me of the Southern Belle strategy of helplessness, a well known, [and deceptive], method for getting people to do your bidding.

Feldman went one better. His opening [subliminal] message to the jury was, you can preserve democracy and save us from the Taliban, if only you find Westerfield innocent. Very dramatic, but as noted by Court TV talkers, Feldman never risked his officer of the court integrity by saying to the jury;
"My client is innocent."

Another clever gambit Feldman used several times in order not to offend law and order [military connected] jurors. He praised the cops, said they did a great job. I guess that's to counter the notion that his line of defense requires jurors to discount the evidence the cops gathered, and rely only on feelings.

All the experts seem to agree, Feldman's only shot is to get a hung jury, and he could too, if there's one person on the jury who wants to punish the van Dams for their despicable lifestyle. I wouldn't have thought that possible if I hadn't read some of the comments here. But then, I'm amazed at how "feelings, nothing more than feelings" could sway good freeper folks.

If someone does start a prediction thread, I will add mine to it. And I hope it includes predictions on the time it will take for the jury to reach a verdict.
Mine will be "Guilty, in record time."

135 posted on 08/08/2002 4:27:14 AM PDT by YaYa123
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To: YaYa123
This is a side issue but your 'never risked his officer of the court integrity' brings it to mind. As I understand, making advocates in a trial an "officer of the court" is a recent (recent as legal systems go) legal innovation, and by some legal philosophers' concerns (old-line conservative constitutionalists) it has been a corrupting influence.
136 posted on 08/08/2002 4:35:20 AM PDT by bvw
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